Addis Ababa was the site of two deadly hotel bombings in 1996. On 18
January an explosion in a hotel frequented by diplomats and foreign
visitors killed four persons and injured at least 20 others, among them
several foreigners. A bomb exploded in a second hotel on 5 August, killing
two persons and injuring 17, including a Belgian citizen. Antigovernment
groups are believed responsible for both attacks.

On 8 July gunmen shot and wounded the Ethiopian Transport and
Communications Minister in Addis Ababa. An ethnic Somali Islamic extremist
group, al-Ittihaad al-Islami, claimed responsibility for the shooting.

In October unidentified assailants shot three foreigners in a shopping
area in the eastern city of Dire Dawa. A German was killed on 5 October,
and on 16 October a French national and a Yemeni were killed. Although no
claims of responsibility were made, local officials blamed Islamic
extremists for the attacks.